Page 49 of Personal Foul (The San Diego Storm #3)

I sighed as we rolled along the runway to the tarmac. We were finally home, but Colin had no idea what I’d done. It was too late to change it now, so if he were upset with me, I’d just have to beg for forgiveness. But I wouldn’t change it if I could.

“What are ya thinking about over there, Mr. St. James?”

I loved the sound of his accent. Always had.

Reaching over, I took his hand. “I’m just happy to be home with you. Now our real life begins.”

Colin’s grin was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. He hadn’t let go of my hand or stopped touching me the entire flight. I hoped he never did.

“Did ya ever think we’d end up like this?”

I had to laugh. “Uh, no. I was worried we might actually kill each other. Funny how things turn out sometimes.”

Glancing out the window, the private terminal came into view. It was easy to find where we were stopping, with Evan standing by his car and Lennox by Dane’s truck.

“How are we getting all this stuff home? Did ya leave the Rover here?”

I shook my head and pointed out the window. “No. Evan dropped me off when I left. But I called in the cavalry to get us home. They’re here to help.”

His face split into another smile. That was his default setting now. I just hoped he kept it when I gave him my wedding gift. Thinking about the surprise that awaited him at home made my stomach knot.

When the jet came to a stop and powered down, we unbuckled and began to secure Bella and Allister. When the doors opened, we stepped out into the San Diego afternoon sun.

“How was the flight?” Evan asked, giving me a bro-hug.

“Even better than the first one.”

“I can imagine,” Lennox added. “Glad you guys are home.”

“We need to go check in. Can you guys keep them out here?”

“Of course.” Evan reached for Bella’s leash, then took Allister’s carrier. With two kids in his house, I bet it would be no time before he had pets of his own.

The flight crew unpacked the boxes while we checked in with customs. Colin had been a little apprehensive about how easily the paperwork had gone in Sydney, but I reassured him it would be fine. And it was. By the time we walked back to the cars, Evan and Lennox had us packed up and ready to go.

“Before we head out,” Lennox said, “we have a surprise for you.”

Colin’s eyes widened. “What kind of surprise?”

“There might be a welcome home party at your house when we get there,” he said.

Colin looked at me, and I smiled. I knew this was coming, but I wanted him to feel the love of our friends.

“Might be?” Colin asked.

Evan shook his head but smiled as Lennox went on.

“Okay, there is. So just suck it up and accept the congratulations. When word got out that you guys got married and were heading home, they wanted to welcome you back and throw a little party. It’s the offseason, and you probably fucked all the way across the ocean, so you can fix your sleep/time issues later. ”

“Wait. Our house? The parties at our house?” Colin asked. He was either shocked or amused. I couldn’t tell.

“Yeah,” Evan said. “When you get tired, you can kick everyone out.”

“How did ya get in?” His accent was kicking in, making me smile.

“The code, duh,” Lennox quipped. “We all have each other’s codes for safety reasons.”

He chuckled. “Of course ya do. I guess we'd better go if they’re all waiting.”

I rode with Evan since Bella took up more room, and Colin rode with Lennox. It was the perfect excuse to check on what I had planned.

“I really need to thank Hudson for this.”

Evan shook his head. “Thomas was happy to help. Now that he’s not on Hudson’s security detail, he’s going to do some private security work. He’d been considering it for a while, and this was exactly what he needed to get him going.”

“Is he staying in San Diego?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I think so.”

As we rode along, the nerves in my gut churned. What if he was upset by what I’d done? Maybe I should have waited a few days?

I ran my hands through my hair and fidgeted in my seat. Evan noticed.

“Relax, man. He’s going to love it.”

I blew out a heavy breath. “I hope you’re right.”

When we pulled up to the house, the street was lined with cars. I’d been expecting a few, but not this many.

“Damn. How many people did you invite?”

He laughed. “That was Lennox. And everyone. But only about twenty could come. A lot of them were out of town. We’ll celebrate again during training camp.”

I nodded as he pulled to a stop along the curb so that when Lennox pulled in, we could unload the boxes.

“When are you going to tell him?”

My stomach was in knots. “After we get settled in.”

I opened the car door and got out, taking Bella with me. She sniffed around in the front yard while I waited. Pulling out my phone, I texted Thomas.

Me: Are we good to go?

TK: Yes, sir.

I breathed out a heavy breath, just as Lennox pulled in. Turning, I met my husband at the side of the truck and opened the door.

“Welcome home, baby.” I reached for Allister’s carrier while Bella roamed the front yard.

“There’s quite a crowd here.”

I looked around at the cars and smiled. “They’re our family.”

Colin looked around as if needing to see it again. “I guess they are. More than just our friends, eh?”

Taking his hand, I called Bella and walked us back into our home.

We mingled for a while and accepted congratulations from our teammates. We recounted our wedding and the things we saw in Australia until I caught sight of Thomas. A single nod told me the time had come.

I took out my phone and sent him a text.

Me: Going to the guest house. Give me five minutes.

Looking up, I watched as Thomas read my text, then gave the slightest nod.

Taking a calming breath, I put my arm around Colin’s shoulders and leaned in. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

He nodded as I took his hand and led him into the guest house. Evan caught my eye and smiled.

Closing the door behind me, I brought him to the sofa and sat him down. His face was a mix of amusement and concern. “What’s wrong?”

Sitting on the coffee table in front of him, I took his hands and stared into his eyes.

“Nothing’s wrong. But I’ve done something, and I hope you won’t be upset with me.”

His brows shot up. “Okay. What have ya done?”

I took another breath and looked him in the eyes. “I found your father.”

Colin froze and stared. I watched his Adam’s apple bob. “I’m sorry. You did what?”

Swallowing thickly, I held his hands, afraid he might bolt. “I found your father.”

I let that sink in for a moment, then continued.

“After breakfast with my parents when we got back from training camp, it got me thinking about him. I wanted to give you the family you didn’t have.

So I talked to Hudson after our pool day, and he said Thomas might be able to help.

He was a military intelligence officer and an FBI agent.

He had some connections, so I hired him to see what he could find. ”

Colin looked at me with tears in his eyes. “You did that before we decided to be together.”

I curled my lips and nodded. “Yeah. I couldn’t stand the thought of not trying to find him. The internet and knowing the right people made it relatively easy.”

A tear slipped down his face, and I reached over to wipe it away. I gave him time to process what I’d said.

“How do you know he’s my father?”

I smiled. “You look just like him. And to be safe, before I offered to bring him into your life, I ran a DNA test. He’s a 99.99% match. A thorough background check matches up with what your mother told you. He’s an Irish rugby player who was in Sydney when you were conceived.”

He swallowed again, and his voice cracked. “What if he doesn’t want anything to do with me?”

Cupping his face, I leaned my forehead to his. “Baby, I don’t think that’s possible. He wouldn’t be here if that were the case.”

Colin pulled back. “Here? Where here? In the States here? Or California here?”

I laughed. “No. As in here, outside that door. Waiting to meet you. But if you don’t want to meet him…”

His eyes went to the door as more tears trickled down his face. Colin got up and wiped them away. Striding to the door, he paused with his hand on the door knob and smiled back at me.

“I thought I loved you before, but somehow, you’ve topped that and made me love you even more. Down to the core and into my bones. You are the most selfless human being I know, and I don’t know what I did to deserve you. But I thank the stars every day for making you mine.”

Tears filled my eyes. “That’s what you do for someone you love.”

Colin swallowed and turned the knob. He opened the door to find his father standing outside the door. His eyes panned up to meet his son’s, and tears filled his eyes. I saw the same soft side that my husband possessed.

“Hello, Colin,” he croaked. “I’m Sean Kearney. And I’m your father.”

When he opened his arms, my husband walked into them. I watched Sean’s face as his eyes closed and tears fell unchecked down his face. When he opened them, he mouthed two words to me.

Thank you.

I knew I’d done the right thing. My husband not only had my parents but also his own. And I couldn’t be happier.